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ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Cornelius Vanderbilt, known as "the commodore" because of his investments in shipping and railroads, made $100 million before he died in 1877.

In 10 years his son, William Henry, doubled the family fortune.

His son, George W., inherited that $200 million, which in today's dollars would be a hefty $96 billion.

All that information is in the audio tour of the baronial Biltmore Estate and explains why young George could afford to devote his life to building the estate's 250-room French Renaissance chateau and filling it with art and furniture from around the world.

When it opened in 1895, Biltmore House was the country's largest private residence, with 35 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms, at a time when most people used an outhouse. The home is still the nation's largest, but no one lives there now. The curious are welcome to tour for $38 a ticket, and a million or so do each year, which helps pay the bills.

William Cecil Jr., the family member now running the place, has a goal. He says in the audio, "If George Vanderbilt came back tomorrow and asked for the keys to the house, we're sure he'd be very happy with how we've maintained Biltmore while he was gone."

George Vanderbilt began building the Biltmore Estate in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, N.C., in 1889. He was then a 27-year-old bachelor.

The cool, clean mountain air of western North Carolina was thought to have healing qualities, and Asheville attracted more than billionaires. Sufferers of tuberculosis and other respiratory ailments flocked to the region after the railroad arrived in 1880.

Art and Crafts

Asheville is enjoying a resurgence today. Locals, in this town of 69,000 people, have pet names for two groups of new arrivals who are boosting real estate prices and driving the spread of galleries and craft shops in recycled buildings of the historic district.

"Halfbacks" are transplanted Northerners leaving the congestion of South Florida to settle in the moderate climate of Asheville, halfway back to their roots. "Trustafarians" are the young artists in dreadlocks found on the park benches and in the coffee houses and brew pubs. Most are struggling in Asheville's crowded art scene, but they're not quite starving, thanks to parental support.

This corner of the Appalachian Mountains always has been a hotbed for arts and crafts, with potters, quilters and woodworkers in abundance. There are at least three dozen galleries in downtown Asheville. The Folk Art Center, which features the work of the more than 900 members of the Southern Highland Craft Guild, is at Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, 15 minutes outside of town.

While the lively arts-and-crafts scene is a boon to buyers and browsers, it's something of a bane to the region's overflow of artists. A front-page story that ran in the Asheville Citizen-Times during my four-day stay carried this headline: "More artists than galleries." It quoted several gallery owners as saying they no longer welcomed "walk-ins" carrying their portfolios.

Getting displayed in the Folk Art Center is even harder. Spokeswoman Ada Dudenhoffer said more than 100 artists from nine states applied last year. A jury viewed their slides, then invited 30 to bring in their work for inspection.

"Eight were accepted," she said. "They're a pretty tough crowd."

You can't stay in the Biltmore House, but there was room at the inn. The Inn on Biltmore Estate opened in 2001 with 213 rooms for guests.

The inn has a gourmet restaurant that offers formal dining. I strolled down the pathway through the vineyard to the Biltmore Estate Winery below, where the casual Bistro restaurant was found.

Biltmore Estate is an experience for all seasons. The Azalea Garden contains one of the country's largest selections of native azaleas, 15 acres that glow each spring. By summer, the 250 acres of gardens are in their full glory, and the surrounding hills add to the color show in autumn. Beginning in November, the chateau is decorated for Christmas and open for candlelight tours.

River Arts District

All those Asheville artists, starving and otherwise, need studio space, and a lot of them are setting up shop in the old warehouses along the riverfront in a burgeoning area known as the River Arts District. Some of the studios are open to visitors daily, some by appointment only. Most are open to the public during scheduled "studio strolls," which are advertised at www.riverartsdistrict.com.

"People can go into the buildings and walk around," said Bar bara Lepak Perez, a sculptor and president of the district. "Knock on a door if you hear a radio."

I also saw some of nature's art at Chimney Rock Park at the end of a 25-mile drive through twisting Hickory Nut Gorge. The park's main feature is a towering rock spire, which was reached by a 26-story ride inside an elevator shaft blasted into the mountainside.

Testimonials

"I really enjoyed working with Jody throughout my entire house buying experience. He has a wealth of knowledge about the Asheville market and was able to help me weigh the pros and cons of many different scenarios. I would work with Jody again in the future." ~Justin

"Jody is a superb realtor to work with. He is truly excited about what he does. We worked with three other realtors before working with Jody, and he was the only one who really understood what type of house we were looking for. As buyers looking to renovate an older house, we were thrilled to have a realtor who understands (and has experience with) the home renovation process. We are definitely looking forward to working with Jody again when it comes time to sell our current house." ~Brady R.

"Aviva was great, she helped us find exactly what we were looking for." ~ Ryan S.

"Aviva was a pleasure to work with. My husband and I are first time home buyers, new to North Carolina. Aviva was instrumental to our understanding of the home-buying process, Asheville’s personality and even services needed around the Asheville area (doctors, veterinarian, mechanic, accountant… the list goes on). We relied heavily on her advice and we really trusted her. We found she was willing to go the extra mile and was always very prompt about all she helped us with. She was enthusiastic and cheerful and I even had fun! I would definitely recommend working with [...]

"Lorraine was great to work with. She is a good listener and has the ability to handle all the little challenges that typically come up during the purchase of a house. She helped make the negotiation as stress free as possible. Will definitely be using her to sell our other house in a few months." ~ Jim T.

"It was a pleasure to work with Leah and the Miller team! Leah is a very reliable and thoughtful person who put in a lot of efforts in guiding me through the process of finding the perfect home for m e. She was always super fast in answering and providing well-grounded information. I can highly recommend her."

"Hilary was always available to show us homes and to answer any questions we had. She was very patient with us in our search until we were able to find the perfect home! She went above and beyond with her knowledge and professionalism. Thanks for everything!"

"I always felt like Steve was available for my questions and he responds so fast and with a sense of humor." ~ Katie D.

"Mary MacManus is the best agènt I've ever worked with. She is professional, informed, reliable, and easy to work with. She has helped our family buy or sell several properties over the years, and we are planning to use her again this spring. It's very reassuring to be able to work with someone so capable." ~Joan

"Sue Riles went above and beyond to make finding and buying a new home a positive experience. She was so encouraging throughout the whole process and was wonderful about staying in touch and keeping me informed each step of the way. We absolutely love our new place!" ~ Stacie T.

"Aviva is a fantastic and skilled realtor - we could not have asked for more when we were buying. She was 100% committed and available for anything and everything that came up; she has a great combination of being smart, savvy and "a mover" yet never rushed; she leads confidently which gave us total confidence in her; yet she is very open to new ideas, input and suggestions; and she went the extra mile in so many ways - and this continued after the sale: helping us with the process of upgrading and renting our duplex. We highly recommend Aviva!" ~ G. Fleming

"Sean and Sophie made this as painless and easy as possible. Wouldn't use anyone else! Thank you two for everything!" ~ Justin S.

"Luiz Leonetti was helpful and professional during the whole process. We're truly satisfied!" ~ Fabiana R.

"Luiz showed professionalism, attentiveness, and care throughout the process. I was thrilled with the experience and will highly recommend him."

"Justin was fantastic! Easy to communicate with and readily available whenever we needed him. Thanks! We love our new home!" ~ Laura T.

~ Mike & Darcey

"Leah helped enormously with professional advice on the local market and was able to provide recommendations on contractors for inspections and some repairs that the property requires. She was flexib le on meeting us on short notice to show properties as well as accommodating evening hours and working weekend days on putting together offers. I look forward to working with her again!"

"What a great land search-to-purchase experience with Kat. Couldn't have been better, easier or more fun! We are so grateful for a delightful process and the land of our dreams!"

"We had a great experience selling our house with Jody every step of the way. He provided thorough explanations, solid advice on repairs and pricing, and quick responses to any questions. Jody helped us set a price that was competitive but attractive enough to generate a lot of viewings immediately. As a result, we ended up getting well above asking price in only 48 hours! He was excellent at helping us to prioritize multiple offers and took care of all of the pre-closing tasks so we could concentrate on our move. Cannot recommend Jody highly enough!" ~Melissa B.

"Lorraine went above and beyond to get me into an amazing home. I couldn't imagine a better person to have on my side for one of life's most stressful processes."

"Ms. Zabriskie was great! She explained everything very well! Is there anything above Excellent? If so she deserves it. She was there whenever I needed her to assist with paperwork, loan info, listings, you name it she was there."

"I came from out of State and Dana provided valuable insights into the different areas and communities. She really took her time with me. I never felt rushed or that I was inconveniencing her. I feel like I went through the buying process with a great realtor and came out of it with a great friend! I would highly recommend Dana for any real estate needs!" ~ Debra O.

"Dear Jessi & Luiz,
Mountains of thanks! I am so thankful to have you as an agent.I couldn't have done it without you! Your expert advice and quick response to all of my questions were greatly appreciated. I couldn't be more pleased with the end result!! It was a real delight to work with you both. I will be happy to recommend you to anyone seeking a great real estate agent." ~ Sandra

"Working with Lorraine has been such a pleasant experience. We bought our first house in 2014 and Lorraine walked is through everything, she answered all of our questions - no matter how bizarre. She would always respond in a timely manner and would go above and beyond to do anything she could to help. When our family expanded this year we needed a larger place and we did not hesitate to call Lorraine. We were able to sell our house and purchase our dream home. Lorraine worked with our time crunch and was able to get us an amazing deal. I highly recommend Lorraine [...]

"Sean was great. It was our first time selling a home and he guided us through the entire process wonderfully. The next time we need a realtor we’re definitely calling Sean!"

"Beth was an incredible realtor and helped us find the home of our dreams in an extremely competitive market and during a record summer for home sale prices in our city. She was extremely knowledgeable, honest, always professional & very easy to communicate with. Beth is a great listener and cares about helping you get the home you want, where you want it . She researches constantly and always looked out for our best interests. She helped to smooth the way for us, from our first phone call to our closing, and we couldn't have asked for a better guide through the process to becoming [...]

"Aviva's unbridled enthusiasm for selling my house was so far and away above what I expected from a realtor, I was truly in awe, and grateful. I fully could not have made it through the difficult sale of my house without her. Her methods were creative and effective, and instead of being a deer in the headlights, Aviva helped me to be a participating collaborator. Selling a house is difficult and Aviva did it, with aplomb." ~ Melissa C.

"A special "Thank You" to our dear friend Beth who sold our home before it came out in the MLS. I think that alone says a lot but, her excellent people skills shine and its easy to realize she is looking out for everyone's best interests. Easy to work with , a great negotiator , and a true professional. "

"Lorraine has worked with me patiently for nearly 3 years; the time that it's taken for me to "pull the trigger" and decide to relocate. Every time I have been to Asheville she has "filled my plate" with appropriate properties to view. During my last visit I found the location where I would like to live. Our offer, though not accepted prompter her to go the "extra mile" to find my "dream home." Check her out, you'll like her enthusiasm to help you find your next abode."

"Lorraine made looking for a home a fun adventure. She went over and above in taking us to properties in Asheville and the surrounding areas. She is very knowledgeable about the community, as well as being open and honest. Besides all of this, she is easy to talk to and answered all our questions. If you are looking for a good real estate agent, call Lorraine; I highly recommend her."

"Aviva is very professional and has an innate understanding of the buyer's perspective. She took great care in the whole process and made us feel comfortable and confident in our purchase."

"Jody did a fantastic job selling our house. In a down market, our house sold on day one. Jody produced a professional and flattering flier on our home. He was prepared to throw a party for o ther realtors in our home for publicity, though it wasn’t necessary. Jody is a great people person, is creative, a hard worker and takes a fresh approach which makes him and his clients stand out from the crowd. He gets results. I would use him again if I bought or sold in Asheville." ~Brady R.

"I contacted Gretchen after reviewing the bios of the agents on line. I called her just a few days before my trip to Asheville to look at properties and she responded in a very positive way, showing me as many homes as possible in the 4 days I was here. She was great to work with both during my visit and afterwards long distance from Washington state. She was willing to face time with me to show me homes I hadn't seen while visiting. Once I found the house and made an offer, she followed closely every step of the way, through the inspection process, etc. I would highly recommend [...]

{ Justin, Some people just seem to have a special gift for sharing their hearts in the most amazing ways. For them, it's never about being noticed for their acts of kindness... it's simply a reflection of the generous spirit that guides then in everything they do. } "Justin, The front of the card says it all. This is what we see in you. You are the best! Thank you for being such a special part in our new journey. We so appreciate your hard work, time, calls, texting and most importantly, [...]

"We could not imagine a better agent than Luiz - professional, friendly, proactive, and a pleasure to work with at every stage of the process. We're tempted to buy another house just so we can work with Luiz again!" ~ Van & Jen K.
"My wife and I found our forever home thanks to Luiz! He made a challenging process enjoyable and he made a confusing process clear & understandable. I wish we needed to buy another house just so we could work with Luiz!" ~Van [...]

"In an effort to be more financially stable and independent, I came to you (Chris Tuten) to help me reach my goals. I knew the chances were not high given my time frame and budget but you gave me faith and had faith yourself that it could be done. You have been so instrumental in making this happen. I appreciate your faith, perseverance, availability and for always keeping me informed and updated. I have felt safe throughout the entire process of unknowns. I don't know how to thank you enough- especially when on top of all that you dropped what you were doing on a Sunday to help me [...]

"Robbie was a great guy & very professional. As an out of town buyer, Robbie made our experience as easy as possible. Very knowledgeable and easily approachable, he helped us with every aspect of the buying process."

"Sean with Town and Mountain was an absolute pleasure to work with, and I highly recommend him and the Town and Mountain team. Not once in our journey did we feel as though we were not a top priority for Sean, even though he had many clients. Sean went above and beyond for us very many times and was always supportive--even when it felt as though there were no properties that fit "us". He was quick, honest, and crawled through many a basement crawlspace to assess our potential investment. I was extremely happy with our experience and cannot recommend Sean and Town and Mountain [...]

"Not having gone through the real estate buying process in over 25 years, we felt like true newbies. From first meeting her, Brittany was patient with us and provided valuable information. She was quick to research and get back to us on issues. Brittany never employed pressure tactics or tried to sway us. We found her to be genuine and it was a pleasure to work with her.
*As a side note, we were pleased you allow pets to visit the office. For those who enjoy having them around, it provides a calming influence."

"Beth is the best of the best. From the get-go, she intuitively knew where I felt comfortable in Asheville. She stuck by me and found [...]

"Gretchen was wonderful to work with! I was so lucky to work with her as she really listened to what was important to me and moved quickly when it mattered most, landing me in the house that fits me perfectly after only 2 days on the market. I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell because she really knows the market as well as the industry." ~ Shannon C.

"Andy was an invaluable resource during our home buying experience and made sure we were informed during every step of the way. He served as a great negotiator on our behalf, made sure all of our paperwork was complete and on schedule, and was always quick to respond to any questions we had. He was also great to just discuss our needs and how individual properties could or could not meet them. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking to make a home purchase in the Asheville Area! Very happy with his responsiveness, willingness to discuss issues, and flexibility to meet my needs. Andy [...]

"An excellent Real Estate Agent! I highly recommend this man to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. Work with the best!"

"Selling our Russell Street home is the fifth real estate transaction for which my husband and I have used Luiz Leonetti. There is a reason that we keep returning. Not only is Luiz a great realtor, he is an all around stand up guy. Transaction after transaction, Luiz has been able to help us buy and sell in record time and at the right price. He is a very dedicated realtor, patient, always in a great mood, honest, and he always plays an integral role in helping us make our final decisions. I would recommend Luiz to anyone interested in buying or selling property. We will certainly continue [...]

"Chris helped me buy my first home which was very long and complicated. I had been renting a home for 5 years and loved the location. When I was offered to buy the home, I was rather undecided if I wanted to buy my rental l or if I wanted to upgrade to something newer. The home was older and needed a lot of TLC so I reached out to Chris from a referral and he came over and walked through the house with me. Because I wasn’t sure what to expect and was undecided on purchasing the rental, Chris was so helpful and so calming. He took the time to show me homes in the zip code I wanted, he [...]

"As a reference point, I have had the opportunity to work with 4 agents in the Asheville area, and 10 altogether. I will say that working with Jody was really a superior experience. While look ing at houses he has a great way of providing context, without offering opinion. He also was superb at guiding the buying process--helping me meet my deadlines, and noticing the things that actually needed extra attention. In a nutshell, next time I need an agent, I will be calling Jody. He’s simply the best I’ve ever encountered." ~Patrick

"I had the pleasure of working with Aviva looking for an investment property in Asheville. She was awesome to work with. She is sharp, amusing, hard-working, knowledgeable, shows great attention to detail and is an outstanding negotiator. She has my highest recommendation." ~ JA

"Amanda is very knowledgeable, professional and personable. She does not hesitate to go an extra mile in order to help her clients. We were first-time home buyers and we needed a lot of guidance in regards to the entire process. Thanks to Amanda's expertise, we found just the right house in a nice neighborhood and with all the amenities that were important to us. We love our new place and we'd highly recommend working with Amanda to everyone who seeks an honest, knowledgeable and dependable agent." ~ Michael

"Lorraine was an absolute pleasure to work with. She made us feel very comfortable and addressed all our issues with skill . She has excellent communication skills, a cheerful demeanor, she makes you feel comfortable and she is easy to talk to . She comes across as professional and honest and she was always punctual and tried to answer all our questions. She gave us good recommendations and we truly consider her a friend at this point. The entire experience was as pleasant as could be. We are from out of town and she made us feel very welcome. She was very helpful without [...]